Dusty Rhodes (baseball player)
Encyclopedia
James Lamar Rhodes was an outfielder with a 7 year career from 1952–1957, 1959. He played for the Giants franchise
of the National League
(1952-57 in New York, 1959 in San Francisco).
Of him, manager Leo Durocher
said "a buffoon is a drunk on a hitting spree". In the season, he was often used as a pinch-hitter for Monte Irvin
, and came through with an incredible number of clutch hits.
In the first game of the 1954 World Series
, Rhodes had a pinch hit
home run
in the bottom of the tenth inning off Bob Lemon
to win the game. The next day he delivered a pinch hit single in the fifth inning and then remained in the game to play left field. In the seventh inning he hit a homer off Early Wynn
to help ensure the victory.
Roy Campanella
, the Brooklyn Dodger
catcher, said of Durocher and his action of pinch-hitting Rhodes: "If they have to pinch hit Rhodes for Irvin, they must be hurting." Willie Mays
mocked this assumption in his autobiography. Mays considered Rhodes to be a "fabulous hitter", as did Durocher, who wrote in his autobiography, "...boy could he hit!", while commenting on Rhodes atrocious fielding abilities.
After his sports career, Dusty Rhodes worked for a friend on a tug boat for 25 years, a job which Dusty said he loved. Dusty stated after his career when asked why his career was so short, "After Durocher left the Giants, baseball wasn't fun anymore."
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
of the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
(1952-57 in New York, 1959 in San Francisco).
Of him, manager Leo Durocher
Leo Durocher
Leo Ernest Durocher , nicknamed Leo the Lip, was an American infielder and manager in Major League Baseball. Upon his retirement, he ranked fifth all-time among managers with 2,009 career victories, second only to John McGraw in National League history. Durocher still ranks tenth in career wins by...
said "a buffoon is a drunk on a hitting spree". In the season, he was often used as a pinch-hitter for Monte Irvin
Monte Irvin
Monford Merrill "Monte" Irvin is a former left fielder and right-handed batter in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball who played with the Newark Eagles , New York Giants and Chicago Cubs .-Biography:Although born in Haleburg, Alabama, Irvin grew up in Orange, New Jersey, one of five...
, and came through with an incredible number of clutch hits.
In the first game of the 1954 World Series
1954 World Series
The 1954 World Series matched the National League champion New York Giants against the American League champion Cleveland Indians. The Giants swept the Series in four games to win their first championship since , defeating the heavily favored Indians, who had won an AL-record 111 games in the...
, Rhodes had a pinch hit
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
in the bottom of the tenth inning off Bob Lemon
Bob Lemon
Robert Granville Lemon was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976....
to win the game. The next day he delivered a pinch hit single in the fifth inning and then remained in the game to play left field. In the seventh inning he hit a homer off Early Wynn
Early Wynn
Early Wynn Jr. , nicknamed "Gus", was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During a 25-year baseball career, he pitched for the Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox...
to help ensure the victory.
Roy Campanella
Roy Campanella
Roy Campanella , nicknamed "Campy", was an American baseball player, primarily at the position of catcher, in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball...
, the Brooklyn Dodger
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
catcher, said of Durocher and his action of pinch-hitting Rhodes: "If they have to pinch hit Rhodes for Irvin, they must be hurting." Willie Mays
Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...
mocked this assumption in his autobiography. Mays considered Rhodes to be a "fabulous hitter", as did Durocher, who wrote in his autobiography, "...boy could he hit!", while commenting on Rhodes atrocious fielding abilities.
After his sports career, Dusty Rhodes worked for a friend on a tug boat for 25 years, a job which Dusty said he loved. Dusty stated after his career when asked why his career was so short, "After Durocher left the Giants, baseball wasn't fun anymore."
External links
- Weber, Bruce. "Dusty Rhodes, Star Pinch-Hitter in '54 Series, Dies at 82," The New York Times, Friday, June 19, 2009.
- "Rhodes took 'fast track' to pro career," Las Vegas Sun, Monday, May 5, 2003.
- Obituary by the Associated PressAssociated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...